A Couple Houses Down
by myeveryday
Summary: He held his hand out. "I'm Finn Hudson." She slipped her hand into his. Even though she didn't want to, a small part of her couldn't help but think that maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all. "I'm Rachel Berry." AU Finchel


**Author's Note: So my lovely friend firecracker1990 requested that I write a Finchel fic based off of the song "The One that got Away" by Jake Owen (she definitely deserves it, because she listens to me whine all the time and she still puts up with me). I'm normally not a country song listener, but as soon as I heard it I started concocting this story. So please enjoy! The title of this story comes from the same song.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**i.**

Finn Hudson had never been so glad for summer in his entire life.

Don't get him wrong; he loved college. But there was just a point each and every semester when he needed to be on break. And three nice, long months working in his stepfather's auto shop and lounging around? That sounded pretty good to him right about now.

But this was his last summer as a student. Come the fall semester, he would be starting his senior year at Ohio State University. And since he was an education major, that meant that he would start student teaching. Finn was excited for all of that, but he was just going to focus on his summer break right now.

Even though he had only been home for two days, his mother already had him outside and mowing the lawn. And even though it was only mid-May, it was damn hot out. Finn sighed as he stopped the lawnmower and yanked off his t-shirt. He wiped the sweat off of his face with it. As he pulled the garment away, he caught sight of a petite brunette getting out of a car a few houses down from his.

Now, Lima was a very small town. Finn pretty much knew everyone, because that was just the way that things were. But he had never seen this girl before. He knew it, because he was positive that he would have remembered her.

She was wearing a black dress with long sleeves and a scoop neck. On her feet were black, knee-high boots and her face was half-hidden by huge sunglasses. Her long hair fell in waves down her back, and Finn knew that his stepbrother, Kurt, would have probably fallen in love with her outfit (though Finn was more concerned with checking out her legs).

But what caught Finn's attention the most was the look of utter disdain on her face as she stared up at the house she was standing in front of. She had a phone in one hand, and she glanced down at the screen as she tapped away at it.

Deciding that he had been staring long enough, Finn started the lawnmower up once again. He was sure that he was going to get to meet her soon enough.

* * *

**ii.**

Rachel Berry had never dreaded a summer so much in her entire life.

She was a _star_. And stars do not spend their summers cooped up in some small town in the middle of nowhere. This was so not how she planned on spending this break.

Rachel let out a huff of annoyance as she thought about how she ended up here. Both of her fathers had decided that she was working too hard and needed a break (which was rich, coming from them. Her daddy was a very well-known and respected lawyer, and her papa was a famous chef. They were ones to talk). Honestly, Rachel didn't see what was wrong with spending her summer auditioning for shows. She may have only been going into her junior year at NYADA, but it was important to build her resume. She was going to be a star on Broadway, after all.

Rachel's phone buzzed with a text message from her best friend, Santana Lopez. She tapped out a quick response before she sighed and grabbed her suitcase. Her fathers had guilt-tripped her into spending the summer with her grandmother. And, well… Rachel did love her grandmother very much.

The loud engine of a lawnmower caused Rachel to stop and look to her left. Her eyes immediately found the tall man with a messy brown pushing the machine across the yard. Her gaze continued down his strong chest and defined arms, and Rachel felt as if the temperature had suddenly shot up.

Pulling herself out of her little trance, Rachel continued to drag her suitcase up the sidewalk. She could worry about the hot lawn boy later.

* * *

**iii.**

"So Edith Berry's granddaughter is staying here for the summer. Her name is Rachel," Carole said as Finn sat down at the dinner table.

Oh. That must have been who the girl was that Finn saw today. He knew that Edith had a granddaughter. Finn would often help her out if she had any problems around the house. Edith was probably one of the nicest people he had ever met, and she always baked him something.

"I think I saw her today," Finn said as he took a bite of his steak.

Carole smiled. "Maybe you should show her around, Finny. It would be nice for her to have someone her age to hang out with."

Burt laughed. "Carole, stop trying to set the poor boy up," he teased.

"I'm a mother. That's what I do." Carole patted Finn's hand. "I'll put in a good word with Edith."

Strangely, Finn didn't mind his mother's meddling. Rachel Berry certainly intrigued him.

* * *

**iv.**

There was one good thing about this house: it had a pool. Rachel didn't know what she was going to be spending her summer doing, but at least she could lay out back and soak up the sun. She came down the stairs just as her grandmother was heading for the door.

"Rachel!" Edith said brightly. "I'm going to the grocery store. Would you like to come with me?"

"Thanks, Nana, but I was actually going to lay outback for a little bit. There aren't a whole lot of places in the city like this, so I'm going to take advantage of it while I can."

Edith smiled. "You go ahead. I want you to enjoy your time here. I'll call to let you know if I'm going to be out late."

Rachel kissed her grandmother on the cheek before she went outside. There was a little deck out back, and the pool was spread out before it. The entire backyard was surrounded by tall trees and encased by a white picket fence. Pretty flowers were growing all over the place, and Rachel felt as if this could be her own private little paradise.

Rachel took her cover up off before she settled on the recliner. Sticking her headphones in, she laid back and closed her eyes.

* * *

**v.**

Finn was just getting back from the auto shop when he noticed Edith getting out of her car. She went to the back and opened it, and he saw her with a multitude of bags. Finn locked his truck up and went over, greeting the older woman with a smile.

"Hi, Mrs. Berry. How are you?"

Edith smiled. "I'm wonderful, Finn, thank you. How was school?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "It was fine. It's just nice to have summer break now. Do you need any help carrying the groceries in?"

"That would be lovely. Thank you!"

They chat about the end of his junior year of college as they walk into the house. Edith went upstairs to get something, and Finn went outside to get the remaining bags. He brought them in and set them on the counter just as the back door opened. In came Rachel Berry—the girl he had seen two days before.

This time, however, she was wearing nothing but a little black bikini. Her sunglasses pushed her hair back from her face, and she had headphones in her ears. She was humming along to whatever songs she was listening to, and Finn could do nothing but stand there and stare as she practically danced past him.

She went to the fridge, bending over to open it. And Finn tried not to stare—really, he did. But he couldn't help it. Her humming grew into soft singing, and Finn thought that he had never heard a voice so beautiful in his entire life.

Rachel pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and then stood up. Still humming, she turned around and promptly let out a shriek of surprise when she saw Finn.

Finn held his hands up as she yanked her headphones out of her ears. She stared at him, seeming to wait for him to do something. It took him a moment, but Finn finally found his words.

"I'm really sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare. I was just helping Mrs. Berry carry in her groceries."

"That's very chivalrous of you." She stared at him for another moment before she said, "You're the lawn boy."

Finn's brow furrowed. "What?"

"You were mowing your lawn a few days ago."

"I was." He held his hand out. "I'm Finn Hudson."

She slipped her hand into his. Even though she didn't want to, a small part of her couldn't help but think that maybe this summer wouldn't be so bad after all. "I'm Rachel Berry."

* * *

**vi.**

"So you met Finn Hudson today."

Rachel looked up from the magazine she was flipping through to see her grandmother smiling down at her. "I did," she said.

"What did you think of him?" Edith prodded none too gently.

"I thought that he was very nice," Rachel said vaguely. She had to remember that she was only going to be here for the summer. There was no use in starting a romance with the boy (man) that lived a few houses down from her. She was going to leave and become a star, and then what? Finn seemed too nice.

"I talked to his mother earlier today. She had that he would be happy to show you around town whenever you feel up to it."

"Nana," Rachel said tiredly.

Edith held her hands up, but her eyes sparkled. "I'm not trying to do anything, Rachel. I just want to make sure that you have some people here your age to talk to."

Rachel knew that her grandmother wasn't going to let this go until she agreed to it. With a sigh, Rachel put aside her magazine. "You can tell him that I'll be ready to go out tomorrow afternoon."

She missed the bright smile that was on Edith's face as she walked away.

* * *

**vii.**

Rachel ran a hand through her hair just as Finn knocked on the door. She opened it and didn't miss the way his eyes widened a little at her outfit of choice. She was wearing a black sweater and fashionable black shorts, along with the same black boots she had worn when she had first arrived.

"What?" Rachel demanded. She had never felt insecure about the way she had dressed before, but under Finn's amber-eyed gaze she felt like it was a little… much.

"Nothing," Finn said quickly. "It's just… you look nice."

"Just nice?" The words escaped Rachel's mouth before she could stop herself.

Finn held his hands up. "Don't get me wrong. You look great, Rachel. It's just that… we're walking around town. Don't you think you're a little… dressed up?" Seeing the look on Rachel's face, he added, "My brother would love the way you're dressed right now. He says that the people in Lima are a bunch of hicks who don't know what fashion really is."

Rachel finally cracked a smile. "You're not a hick," she said softly. Finn was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, but he looked… good. Really good.

Finn's lips lifted into a sweet half smile. "I didn't mean anything by it," he said. His eyes swept up and down her body again, so fast that Rachel almost missed it. "You really do look good. Don't worry about it, Rach. You should be able to dress the way you want to."

For some reason, Finn's statement made tears burn in Rachel's eyes. She forced herself to calm down before she grabbed her purse and followed Finn out of the house. He walked over to his truck and opened the passenger door for her. The truck was a little higher up than Rachel was used to, so she had to jump a little in order to get into the seat. Finn chuckled before he held out his hand, and Rachel used it as leverage to get into the truck.

"Is there anywhere that you really wanted to go?" Finn asked as he started the truck up.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "What's there to do around here?"

Finn chuckled again, and the sound caused a shiver to run down Rachel's spine. "Not a whole lot. There's the bowling alley and the movie theater. There are a bunch of shops down Main Street. Since it's the summer, there will be a lot of fairs. The best one is one the Fourth of July, though."

"That's it? Really?" Rachel couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that there was so little to do in Lima. She always had something to do in New York. There was always somewhere to go, someone to see, things to do.

"It is pretty quiet around here," Finn said as he nodded his head. The drive to Main Street only lasted five minutes. Once he pulled into a parking spot, Finn got out of the car and went around to open the door for Rachel before she could gather all of her things up. He held his hand out again, and Rachel took it as she stepped out of the truck.

Right away, Rachel noticed several people watching her and Finn as they walked together down the street. This certainly was a very small town. She could only imagine what people were going to say.

* * *

**viii.**

Finn and Rachel spent the next hour wandering slowly up and down Main Street. They talked about their classes, their respective schools, their friends, and their families. Rachel was beyond excited to hear that Finn's brother, who was her age, was up in New York at an internship for _Vogue_.

"I think that you'll make an excellent teacher," Rachel said as they turned a corner.

Finn glanced at her. "Really?"

Nodding her head, Rachel said, "I do. You have a way of putting people at ease, Finn. What kind of teacher do you want to be?"

"A music teacher," Finn revealed. "Music has kind of always been a big thing for me, so I thought that it would be nice if I could pass that along, you know?"

Rachel's eyes lit up at the mention of music. "Do you play any instruments? Do you sing? Do you dance? No, you don't seem like the dancing type. But I can definitely seeing you play an instrument and signing. You look like you would enjoy classic rock. Am I right?"

Finn blinked in surprise at Rachel's sudden rapid speech. Then he smiled, because she just looked so excited, and it was… cute. "Uh, I play the drums. And sure, I guess I sing from time to time. That's more Kurt's thing than it is mine. I do listen to classic rock, and bands from the eighties are my favorite. And no, I definitely don't dance. At all."

Rachel giggled, and Finn found himself loving the sound. He made it his mission that night to hear it as often as he possibly could.

"I'm sure that you're not that terrible of a dancer," Rachel said.

"Oh, I am. They wouldn't let me have a touchdown dance in high school because I was so bad at it." Rachel giggled again, and Finn smiled. He suddenly reached down and took her hand, leading her over to a window he had visited many times in his youth. "Do you want some ice cream?"

Rachel looked at the window before she looked back at Finn. "Do they have any vegan options? I'm a vegan."

"I'm sure I can find out," Finn said. He knocked two knuckles on the window, and a little old lady opened it up. "Hi, Betty!"

"Finnegan!" the woman exclaimed. "I was wondering when you were going to visit. What can I get for you and your friend?" It didn't surprise Finn that Betty had quickly noticed Rachel.

"I'll have my usual. And do you have any vegan ice cream options?"

"You're in luck. My grandson has decided to become a vegetarian, so we always have some here for him." Betty went about getting their ice cream. When she passed it to them, Finn paid for it. They said goodbye to the woman and continued with their walk down the street.

"How much do I owe you?" Rachel asked after a moment.

Finn shook his head. "It's okay," he said as he tossed her a half smile. "My treat."

Rachel's lips spread into a bright smile. As they were walking, she couldn't stop herself from putting her hand on his arm. "Thank you, Finn," she said sweetly.

* * *

**ix.**

She was coming up on the three week mark of her stay in Lima, and Rachel was _bored_. Other than the night she had walked around town with Finn, Rachel hadn't found a single thing to do. Sure, she had bonded with her grandmother, but even she had her own things to get done. And that left Rachel with not much else to do but lay out by the pool. She was about to start going stir crazy.

Rachel was lounging downstairs in a pair of jean shorts and a NYADA sweatshirt as she flipped through the channels on the television. It was then that Edith came into the room, one of her famous pies in hand.

"Rachel, would you like to go over to the Hudson-Hummel's for dinner tonight?" she asked.

Rachel sat straight up. "That sounds nice," she said. Thank God, now she would have something to actually do with herself. And she would get to see Finn again, which was always a plus (However, she tried to push that last thought away. She had to remember that she was leaving at the end of August, and Finn was going to go back to Ohio State. But that thought process didn't really seem to work when she remembered his amber eyes and his sweet half smile).

"We normally have dinner together every week," Edith revealed. "But we haven't been able to do that lately, since Carole has been busy. But I'm heading over now, so let's go!"

"Wait a second!" Rachel scrambled to her feet. "I have to get changed—"

"Sweetie, no you don't," Edith said. "You look very nice right now. This isn't a formal event. Just grab some shoes and let's get going."

Rachel debated going upstairs. But seeing the firm look on her grandmother's face, she grudgingly grabbed her flip flops and shoved them on her feet as she followed Edith out the door. Edith didn't even knock; instead, she just stepped into the Hudson-Hummel house and called out to Carole.

"Carole, we're here!"

"I'm in the kitchen!" a woman called back. Obviously, that was Carole Hummel—Finn's mother. All of the sudden, Rachel was nervous to meet her. She followed her grandmother into the kitchen and found a kind looking woman standing over a pot.

"Oh, you must be Rachel!" Carole exclaimed as soon as she saw her. "I'm Carole Hummel. It's so nice to meet you!" Carole immediately hugged Rachel in greeting. She relaxed as she hugged the older woman in return.

It was then that the backdoor opened and Finn and another man (whom Rachel could only assume was Finn's stepfather) came in. They were carrying a platter full of hamburgers and hotdogs. Finn stopped when he saw Rachel, and then his lips curled into a smile.

"Hey, Rach," he said easily as he set the food down on the dining room table. "How are you?"

That was the second time he had used that nickname with her, Rachel noticed. No one had ever called her that before. She liked it. "I'm doing well, Finn. How are you?"

"Hungry," he answered truthfully. His statement caused Rachel to laugh while Carole lightly waked him on the back of the head with her oven mitt.

"Finn Hudson, I believe that I taught you manners!" she scolded. But she was wearing a smile on her face, so everyone knew that she wasn't being too serious.

"Sorry, Mom," Finn said with a grin. A dimple appeared in his left cheek, and his amber eyes twinkled. As if to prove his mother wrong, he pulled a chair out and gestured for Rachel to sit in it. As she sat, Finn bent and, with his lips next to her ear, whispered, "You look nice tonight."

* * *

**x.**

The "kids" (AKA Finn and Rachel) had been volunteered to wash the dishes. Burt, Carole, and Edith were out on the porch, drinking and talking while they left the cleanup to Finn and Rachel. Neither one minded, however.

"Alright, Finn," Rachel said. "You wash, and I'll dry."

Finn made an adorable pout that made a smile come to Rachel's face. "Why do I have to clean the dishes?"

"Because I want to dry the dishes," Rachel answered. She handed him the sponge and nudged him towards the sink. "Now get to work." She smiled to let him know that he was teasing, and he winked at her in return.

"What have you been up to over the past couple of weeks?" Finn asked. "I haven't really seen you around."

Rachel sighed. "That's probably because I haven't really found anything to do. Normally, I'd probably be part of a show back in New York. But Lima isn't exactly a place of the arts."

Finn thought for a moment before his face lit up. "We have a community theater, you know."

"You do?"

"Yup. They're about to start working on their summer play. I normally help out with the instrumental section. The director was one of my teachers in high school, so I can talk to him and see if we can get you to volunteer. How does that sound?"

Rachel beamed at him. "That sounds perfect, actually. You would really do that?"

"Of course," Finn answered. "We can't have you dying of boredom, after all."

Rachel playfully rolled her eyes at him and nudged him with her hip. In retaliation, Finn flicked soapsuds at her. Rachel gasped and scooped her hand through the suds in the sink, smearing them all over Finn's shirt.

A mini-war was started after that. Finn and Rachel spent a good ten minutes splashing water and soapsuds at each other. By the time they were caught by the adults, they realized that they now had a much bigger mess to clean up. Finn winked at Rachel again, and she blushed in return.

* * *

**xi.**

Finn introduced Rachel to a man with curly hair. "Rach, this is my old high school teacher, Will Schuester. Mr. Schue, this is my neighbor's granddaughter, Rachel Berry."

Will shook Rachel's hand. "It's a pleasure to have you working with us, Rachel. Finn tells me that you go to NYADA?"

"I do," Rachel said. "And thank you for allowing me to volunteer."

"She was going stir crazy," Finn quipped. Rachel elbowed him lightly and he nudged her in return. Will watched them with a smile on his face before he took the pair down the stage.

"Now, we mostly work with high school students. This is kind of like a continuation for them, outside of the school year. We'll audition them for parts, and then we'll have to get started on the costumes and sets. Most of this is made possible by volunteers."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Rachel said. She was already so excited to be helping out.

Will smiled in response to her enthusiasm. "I'm afraid that most of what you and Finn will be doing is working on sets. But I'll also need help for workshops with the kids."

Rachel didn't even care that she would only really be working on sets for the play. She was just so happy to be back in a theater. She didn't even mind that she was going to be working behind the scenes.

"What musical are we putting on?" Rachel asked.

"_Grease_," Will answered.

Rachel gasped. "Oh, that's one of my favorites!"

"It was Finn's idea, actually."

Rachel turned to Finn. "Really?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders and gave her an easy smile. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"I'm not, actually," Rachel told him.

Will watched them interact for another moment before he said, "There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about, Finn. I need you to co-direct."

"What?" Finn said as his mouth dropped open a little bit. He stared at his old teacher in complete shock. "What do you mean, you want me to direct?"

"My wife, Emma, is eight months pregnant," Will explained for the benefit of Rachel. He turned to Finn to continue his reasoning. "I can't leave her alone too often. And I certainly can't be gone after the baby is born." Will clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I trust you, Finn. I know that you can do this."

"You can," Rachel said quietly. She really did believe that he could, even though she had only met him a few weeks ago. She just knew that Finn could achieve this.

Finn looked up at her before he smiled and nodded his head.

* * *

**xii.**

"Great practice, guys!"

"It's called a rehearsal, Finn," Rachel hissed from the side of the stage.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Great _rehearsal_. I'll see you all on Monday!"

The kids all left the stage, chattering about what they were going to do over the weekend. Rachel watched with a smile on her face as the two leads of the musical, Marley Rose and Ryder Lynn, walked out off of the stage together. They were whispering to each other with bright grins on their lips.

Rachel jumped a little when she heard Finn's voice. "So you noticed that, too?"

She turned to find him smiling. "I did notice it," she said. "It's cute. They're kind of like Sandy and Danny in real life, aren't they?"

"Except Ryder isn't a jerk," Finn pointed out.

"Danny wasn't a jerk, Finn," Rachel admonished. "He was just too caught up in high school."

"Jerk," Finn repeated.

Rachel turned to face him and planted her hands on her hips. "Please, Finn. Like you weren't focused on being popular in high school."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't going to lie; it wasn't exactly hard for him in high school. "I was the quarterback of the football team," he finally said. "But it wasn't my main concern to be cool, or anything. Maybe in my freshman year, but I grew out of that." He smirked. "But since I'm so cool anyway, it doesn't really matter."

Rachel shook her head, but she was smiling. She gathered her purse and checked her phone. Santana had texted her, and she tapped a quick response and looked up to find Finn still waiting for her. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked very nervous about something.

He seemed to steel himself when he finally said, "Do you want to go get ice cream?"

And even though Rachel was wondering if it was a good idea, she found herself saying, "Yes."

* * *

**xiii.**

"You're so good with the kids," Rachel said. After getting ice cream, they had walked back to their houses. "And they really look up to you, even though this is your first time directing. You can't even tell. Well, I can tell, because I know what to look for. But the kids can't tell at all, because you just know what you're doing."

"Rachel," Finn said with a chuckle. He interrupted her constant stream of words. She had been talking nonstop about the play since they had left the theater. "Can we stop talking about the play for five seconds?"

Rachel's brow furrowed. "Alright…" she said slowly. "What do you want to talk about then?"

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "How about you tell me some of the things you like about Lima? You've been here for a little over a month now, so there must be something that you've found interesting."

"I love the theater here," Rachel said. "I didn't know that so many kids in Lima that were interested in acting and singing."

"Rach, I meant something other than theater," Finn said. "That can't be the only thing that you like about Lima."

Rachel found herself looking up at the sky. Her entire life, she had lived in New York City. She had been surrounded by tall buildings and bright lights. But the one thing that she had immediately fallen in love with in Lima was the beautiful sights at night.

"The stars," Rachel said after a moment. "I love the stars. I've never seen so many before." She tilted her head back to look up at the sky. The stars twinkled above her, and she smiled as she watched them.

"It is one of the greatest parts of living here," Finn agreed. He was watching Rachel instead of looking up at the stars, as she was doing.

They stopped in front of her house, but Rachel didn't make a move to go inside. Instead, she continued to look up at the night sky. "Stars have always been an important staple in my life. I've always considered them to be a metaphor. And metaphors are important, you know."

"Oh yeah? And what are the stars a metaphor for?"

"Me being a star, of course." Rachel still didn't take her eyes from the stars. She remembered standing on the rooftop of her building as a little girl, trying her best to see the stars. But she had never seen this many before. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes," Finn said, but he wasn't looking at the stars. He was looking at Rachel.

It was then that Rachel realized the direction of Finn's gaze. Her breath caught and her cheeks reddened under his amber-eyed gaze. She bit her lip and Finn stepped closer to her.

"I don't think anyone has ever called me beautiful before," Rachel whispered. Sure, she had been called hot and sexy and smoking. But in all of her experience with guys, she didn't think that anyone had ever called her beautiful.

Finn took another step closer. When Rachel didn't move away, he lifted a tentative hand and slid it against her cheek. "You are beautiful, Rachel Berry," he whispered. "I don't think I've ever met anyone more beautiful than you."

Rachel let out a shaky breath as Finn bent his head closer to hers. She had never felt this way before. The things that Finn was making her feel were completely new and exciting, and it felt so familiar at the same time.

And with that thought, Rachel stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to Finn's. She felt him smile against her mouth before his lips began to move against hers. Rachel pressed herself closer to him, fisting his shirt in her tiny hands as his tongue slipped into her mouth.

They broke apart to catch their breaths, and a quiet moan escaped Rachel. She locked her fingers in Finn's hair and pulled him close again for another kiss, this one even deeper than the last. Finn wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him.

When they broke apart, Finn was grinning brightly. Rachel slowly opened her eyes to look at his smiling face before she realized what she had just done. And without another word, Rachel pulled herself from Finn's arms and ran into her house.

* * *

**xiv.**

Edith was surprised when she came downstairs and found her granddaughter curled up on the couch in a pair of sweatpants and a ratty sweatshirt. Edith had ignored it for the past three days. But this was the fourth day that Rachel had shut herself out from the world, and Edith wasn't going to stand for it any longer.

"Rachel Barbra Berry!" Edith exclaimed as she tugged the blankets off of her. "What has been wrong with you lately? You have not left the house for the past four days."

"Nothing is wrong, Nana," Rachel said as she tugged her hood over her head. "I'm just not feeling well."

"Rachel, my little star." Edith sat on the sofa next to her granddaughter. "This has got to stop. You can't spend the rest of the summer cooped up in the house."

"I can if I want to," Rachel replied stubbornly.

Edith shook her head. "Weren't you volunteering at the theater? I thought you were having such a wonderful time with it."

Rachel didn't affirm or deny Edith's statement. "I called in sick," she muttered instead.

And Edith suddenly had an idea of what was going on with Rachel. "Dear, this wouldn't have anything to do with the tall, handsome young man that lives down the street, does it?"

When Rachel's cheeks turned bright red, Edith knew that she had been correct. She smiled and patted her hand. Rachel just closed her eyes and buried her face in her free hand.

"Nana, I'm only here for the summer," Rachel said. Her words were muffled behind her mouth. "I can't… I don't know…"

"Rachel, relax," Edith advised. "How are you ever going to know if something is going to work if you don't give it a chance?"

* * *

**xv.**

Rachel had finally managed to get herself out of the house. And by out of the house, she meant in the backyard, by the pool. This time, she wasn't swimming or sunbathing. Instead, she was dressed in another pair of jeans shorts and a tank top, dipping her feet into the pool.

A familiar figure hopping over the fence surprised her briefly. But Rachel immediately recognized him as Finn, and she didn't move from her spot by the pool. Instead, she waited until Finn was standing directly above her.

"We need to talk," Finn said without any preamble.

Rachel looked up at him before she nodded her head. She wasn't sure of how to start the conversation, but the words spilled from her mouth anyway.

"I know that you must be a little confused, Finn—"

Finn didn't hesitate to interrupt her. "A 'little' might be a bit of an understatement, Rachel. I don't understand."

"I know you don't, and I'm sorry," Rachel said quickly.

"You're sorry," Finn repeated. "Sorry that you kissed me?"

Rachel told him the truth: "No."

Finn blinked in surprise. It certainly seemed as if he hadn't been expecting that answer. After another moment, he kicked off his shoes and sat down next to Rachel.

"So you don't regret it."

"No, I don't."

Finn blinked. "Okay. Now I really don't understand."

"Finn." Rachel turned towards him but resisted the urge to take his hand. She knew that if she touched him, it would be all over. She wouldn't be able to resist him. "I'm going back to New York at the end of the summer."

"And?" Finn didn't understand where she was going with that line of reasoning. "I'm going back to Ohio State at the end of the summer. What's your point?"

"Finn," Rachel repeated. "We would only have two months together. What if… I don't know if…"

Finn shifted closer to Rachel and took her hands in his. She felt her defenses shattering immediately. "Rachel, you can't ask those questions," Finn said gently. "Because we can't ever know the answers to them. Not unless you give it a chance." He brought one of his hands up to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb against her skin. "Take a chance on me, Rachel."

Rachel wrapped her fingers in the front of Finn's shirt and tugged him close. And then she gave her answer in the form of a deep, passionate kiss.

* * *

**xvi.**

"Are you two dating now?"

Rachel looked up as Ryder approached from the other side of the stage. "Who?" she asked. She was honestly momentarily confused as to what he was talking about, as she had been so focused on mending one of the costumes.

Ryder smiled at her. "You and Finn."

"Oh. Uh…" Rachel looked over at Finn. He was helping to direct the kids through "Greased Lightning," and the look on his face was so excited as he gestured broadly. She couldn't help but smile as she watched him. They had been on three dates since Rachel had agreed to give Finn a chance, and everything was going better than Rachel had ever expected. "I guess so," she finally said.

"That's really great, you know," Ryder said. "I've known Finn for a long time. He's been helping out at the school since I was a freshman. But I don't think that I've ever seen him this happy."

"Really?" Rachel asked. At that moment, Finn looked over and his eyes connected with Rachel's. That half-smile lifted his lips, and that dimple appeared in his cheek. The sight of it made her heart beat faster, and a grin of her own spread across her lips.

"Really," Ryder answered.

* * *

**xvii.**

"The Fourth of July has to be my favorite holiday. After Christmas and Thanksgiving, that is."

Rachel giggled as she set the pie she had helped her grandmother make on the table of desserts. "That would be your third favorite holiday, then."

Finn ignored Rachel's correction as he dipped his finger into a bowl of whipped cream. He sucked it off his finger before he said, "Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved going to the big block party. And the fireworks have always been my favorite part of the night. I even have a special place to watch them at."

"Oh really? Do I get to see this special place?"

"Only if you're on my good side," Finn teased. He swept his finger through the whipped cream again and held it out to Rachel. His eyes dared her to do it, and Rachel certainly didn't have a problem with that. She leaned forward and wrapped her lips around his finger, using her tongue to suck the whipped cream off. Finn closed his eyes and let out a quiet groan. Rachel pulled back and released his finger with a pop before she stretched up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

Finn squeezed her waist as he pulled away. Before he could say anything else, a voice from the crowd caught his attention. "Yo, Hudson!"

A man with a Mohawk and a pretty blonde girl came forward. Each of them greeted Finn affectionately. It seemed as if they had known him for a very long time, and Finn looked just as happy to see them.

"What have you been up to, Hudson?" the man demanded. His eyes fell to Rachel, and he smirked. "It looks as if you've been having a lot of fun."

"Dude," Finn said as he rolled his eyes. "Back off."

"Relax, man," his friend said. He wrapped his arm around the blonde's shoulders and pulled her close. "Q would kick my ass. You know that."

Finn laughed before he turned to Rachel. "Rach, these are my friends from high school, Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray. Guys, this is my girlfriend, Rachel Berry."

"Actually, I go by Puck," the man with the Mohawk said.

"Noah," Rachel said, causing Finn to laugh. "Quinn," she continued. "It's nice to meet you. How do you know Finn?"

"Well, I'm Finn's best friend," Puck explained. "And Quinn is actually Finn's ex-girlfriend from high school." He waved his hand dismissively. "It's a long story that really doesn't need to be told again."

Finn let out another chuckle, but Rachel was more focused on what Puck's previous statement. Quinn was his ex-girlfriend? Rachel came to term with her insecurities a long time ago. She knew that she was attractive, but compared to Quinn? Rachel couldn't help but feel as if she couldn't compare to the classic beauty.

She stayed with them for another few moments before she made up some excuse and walked away. She walked along the edge of the block party, and it took her a few minutes to realize that she was heading back towards her house. With a sigh, Rachel stopped in front of her house and ran a hand through her hair. She wasn't going to run away from this.

And it turned out that she didn't have to. Finn appeared behind her moments later, his brow furrowed in concern as he reached out and took her hand.

"Hey, baby," he said. The term of endearment had been one that he had taken to giving lately, and Rachel really enjoyed it. Even now, it made her feel just a little bit better. "What's wrong? Why are you all the way over here?"

"I just… I… Quinn is your ex-girlfriend," Rachel finally said.

Finn knew that he had to tread carefully with the direction of this conversation. "She is," he said slowly.

"Finn…" Rachel played with the ends of her hair. "I don't look like Quinn."

"I know you don't, Rachel."

"But she's blonde and tall and she was probably a cheerleader. And I'm… not."

Finn blinked at her. "Rachel, you have got to be kidding me," he finally said.

"I really wish I was," Rachel muttered.

Finn stepped closer to her and slid his hands up to cup her cheeks. "Rachel, when I first met you, I saw this gorgeous, incredibly sexy, confidant woman. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to go after it. But I also saw a girl who still harbored insecurities and tried to hide them from the world. Why are you so afraid to show who you really are, Rachel Berry?"

Rachel bit her lip. "There's always been a certain image that I've had to keep in New York. And I guess when I came here, I just tried to hold on to it. But when I met you…" Rachel slid her hands over Finn's on his face. "You've made me feel things that I've never felt before. And it scared me a little bit. Because I don't have to hide anything from you." She smiled. "I can't hide anything from you. You read me too well."

Finn smiled and rested his forehead against Rachel's. "So don't hide from me anymore, Rachel. Show me who you are."

Rachel slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, kissing him deeply. She pressed herself closer to him, moaning into his mouth as he ran his hands up and down her sides and under her shirt.

When they broke apart, Finn took Rachel's hand. "Come with me. I have something that I want to show you."

* * *

**xviii.**

Instead of going back to the party, Finn led Rachel into his backyard. They went all the way into the back, where there was an alcove of trees. He tugged her forward until they were standing at the base of one tree. He pointed up, and Rachel saw the tree house situated among the thick branches.

"This is my secret spot," Finn revealed. "My dad built it before he passed away, and I come up here all the time. This is also where I watch the fireworks." He guided Rachel up the ladder before he followed her up. They settled in the doorway and looked out at the darkening sky.

"I used to wear knee socks and penny loafers," Rachel suddenly said.

Finn looked down at her with one of his eyebrows arched. "Really?"

"Really," she said. "I wore them in high school. The clothes I have now? They're part of my new college wardrobe. I needed a change, so I gave myself one."

Finn pressed a kiss to Rachel's temple. "I think you would have looked cute in knee shocks and penny loafers."

Rachel laughed. "Thank you, Finn."

"I'm serious." He turned so that his arms were wrapped around her and his lips were getting closer to hers. "I can just imagine you walking down the hallway, bossing everyone around."

"I'm not bossy," Rachel muttered. She didn't fight Finn as he laid her back.

Finn chuckled and nuzzled his nose against her cheek. "Yes, you are." Before she could protest, Finn pressed his lips to Rachel's. His tongue slipped into her mouth as he settled over her. Rachel arched her body up into his, pressing as close to him as she possibly could.

Finn ran his hands up and down her sides, pushing her shirt up as he went. His large hands stroked over the soft skin of her stomach, and Rachel moaned. She insistently tugged at his t-shirt, and Finn pulled back just enough to allow her to pull it off. She ran her hands up and down his chest before snaking them around to his back, feeling his muscles rippling underneath her fingers.

They scooted further into the tree house, and Finn used his t-shirt to pillow Rachel's head. Her shirt was quickly discarded as well, and he unsnapped her bra as he nibbled at her neck. Rachel moaned again when his large, warm hand cupped her bare breast. His thumb flicked over her nipple before he kissed down from her mouth, to her throat, across her collar bone, and down to her breast. He took a pert nipple in his mouth, and Rachel locked her fingers into his hair.

"_Finn,_" she gasped out.

Finn's mouth switched to her mother breast as his hand slid up and under her skirt. He could feel her wet and ready for him, and he groaned against her skin as he pulled her panties off. Rachel lifted her hips and allowed him to take her skirt off as well, and she laid completely naked beneath Finn for the first time.

"Rachel," he breathed. "You're so beautiful."

Rachel beamed and pulled him down for another kiss as he unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down, along with his boxers. Now he was completely naked under her gaze as well, and she ran her hands up and down his body before she wrapped her fingers around his length. Finn groaned and dropped his head onto her shoulder.

"Now, Finn," Rachel whispered. She reached up to kiss him. "I need you."

"You're sure?" Finn panted as he curved his palm around her cheek.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life," Rachel assured him.

And with those words, Finn slid into Rachel just as the fireworks went off. She wrapped her legs around his waist, dragging her fingers down his back as he pumped into her. Rachel's hips rocked in perfect time with his, and the loud explosions from the fireworks drowned out their moans and cries of pleasure.

Rachel cried out as she came, clutching at his shoulders. Finn followed her over the edge, burying his face in her neck to muffle his exclamations. They laid there for several long moments, trying to catch their breath as they came down from their respective highs.

"Finn," Rachel breathed out.

Finn wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close, dropping a kiss to her shoulder. "You're perfect, Rachel Berry," he murmured. "There's no one out there like you."

* * *

**xix.**

Even though the Fourth of July celebrations were long over, Finn and Rachel were still wrapped up in each other in the tree house. Finn kept a blanket up there, so they had taken that out long ago to keep themselves warm as the sun set.

"So since we're sharing everything now, I have something that I need to tell you," Finn muttered as he traced his fingers up and down Rachel's naked back.

"Yeah? And what's that?" Rachel asked as she snuggled closer to him.

Finn sighed before he revealed, "I always kind of wondered if you were… if you should really be interested in me."

Rachel sat up so that she could look down at Finn's face. "What are you talking about?"

Finn gave her a wry smile. "You're used to guys from New York. I'm from Lima, Ohio. I'm going to be a teacher. You know people who are going to be famous one day."

"So? That doesn't mean anything to me, Finn."

"No?"

"Of course not!" Rachel wrapped her arms around Finn and pressed her cheek to his chest, right over his heart. "When I think about you and the way you make me feel, all of things don't matter anymore."

Finn looked down at Rachel until she tilted her face up towards his. "I think I love you, Rachel Berry."

Rachel's heart stuttered and then started up again. A feeling of warmth spread throughout her body, and her lips formed into a wide, beaming smile. She really did love Finn. She could feel it all throughout her body and soul.

"I love you too, Finn Hudson."

* * *

**xx.**

The first thing Rachel realized as she went backstage was that everything was in complete disarray. The whole cast and crew were enshrouded in chaos—including Finn. Rachel quickly made her way over to him.

"Hey, is everything okay?" Rachel asked. She slid her hand onto his knee, rubbing soothing circles in the fabric of his suit.

"No, everything is not okay," Finn said. Panic was evident in his voice as he spoke. "Marley is freaking out about something and she won't tell me what it is and she locked herself in the bathroom! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

Rachel tilted Finn's face up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Relax. Get the rest of the cast ready. Leave the rest to me."

With that said, Rachel resolutely walked over to the bathroom door. She knocked on it and called out, "Marley, it's Rachel! Let me in!" A long moment passed, and nothing happened. "Come on, Marley! I really need to talk to you. Just let me in."

And even though Rachel hadn't really expected it to work, the bathroom door swung open just long enough for Rachel to step in. Marley immediately shut it behind her once again, and she went to sit down on the floor. Rachel sighed before she sat down next to her.

"What's wrong, Marley?" Rachel asked.

Marley shook her head. "I'm just… I'm kind of freaking out right now," she admitted. She looked at her with tear-filled eyes. "There are so many people out there, Rachel. What if… What if I'm not good enough? What if I'm not pretty enough? What if I mess up?"

"Oh, Marley." Rachel wrapped a comforting arm around the young girl. "Has anyone ever told you that you're an amazing singer?" Marley nodded her head, and Rachel continued speaking. "And has anyone ever told you that you're pretty?" When Marley nodded her head again, Rachel smiled. "Then you need to believe them. You are good enough, Marley. You just need to go out there and own that stage. Believe that you are good enough. Because you are."

Marley sniffled and wiped under eyes before she nodded her head and stood up. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her costume out. "Okay," she said. "Okay. I'm ready."

Rachel stood up and clapped her hands excitedly. "Excellent! Let's go!"

Marley left the bathroom and marched right up to the stage. Finn watched her go with an amazed look before he turned to Rachel. A smile formed on his face when he saw the grin on Rachel's, and he bounded over to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"How did you do it, Rach?" he asked.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "I just talked to her."

Finn pressed a deep, hard kiss to her lips. "You're amazing," he breathed.

Rachel smiled and wrapped her arms around him.

* * *

**xxi.**

"Daddy!" Rachel couldn't keep the squeal from escaping as she answered her phone. "Hello! How are you?"

"I'm fabulous, little star!" Hiram Berry said. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Daddy. So is there any reason that you're calling." Rachel laid back on her bed and cuddled one of her old stuffed animals to her chest. She may have been twenty years old, but she still loved seeing these things in her room.

"There actually is a reason that I'm calling. Your papa and I decided that we need to have a family vacation before you go back to school. We'll be there this afternoon to bring you home!

Rachel's mouth dropped open in shock. "_…What?_"

* * *

**xxii.**

Rachel paced back and forth on the Hudson-Hummel's front porch as she waited for Finn to come to the door. She chewed on her bottom lip as she continued to switch directions.

It wasn't long before Finn opened the door and he came out onto the front porch. He grinned when he saw Rachel and wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, baby," he greeted as he pressed a kiss to her lips. "What brings you over here."

"Nothing really," Rachel said as she forced herself to relax as much as she possibly could. "I just wanted to see what you were up to."

Finn dropped a kiss to the top of her head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Luckily for you, my entire afternoon is cleared. And my night, too. I was thinking that we could—"

"Finn, I'm leaving."

The smile immediately slipped from Finn's face, and Rachel's eyes went wide. She hadn't meant to just say it like that. He stared at her for several long moments before he finally seemed to find his words.

"What do you mean?" It was the only sentence that Finn was able to string together at the moment, and Rachel pressed her lips together.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "My daddy called me today," she said softly. "He and my papa are coming down to get me and we're going to go on vacation before I go to back to school. They're coming this afternoon."

"Rachel…" Finn dragged a hand through his hair. "What does this mean for us?"

This is what Rachel had been afraid of. She could already feel her heart breaking at the thought of leaving Finn here. But she was going back to New York, and he was going to stay in Ohio. Rachel certainly didn't expect Finn to follow her to New York, and she wasn't going to stay in Ohio. Long distance relationships rarely ever worked, and Rachel was so afraid of putting her heart out there. So she did the only thing she could think of: she shut herself down completely.

"It means that I go back to New York and you go back to Ohio State at the end of the summer," Rachel said softly.

Finn looked up at her sharply. "What?"

"I have to go back, and you have to stay here," Rachel said. She could see the look of her hurt forming on Finn's face, and she purposefully glanced away from him.

Finn's eyes narrowed. "I don't have to stay here."

"As far as I know, your place is in Ohio, Finn." She couldn't let Finn completely uproot his life just because he wanted to be with her. What if he ended up hating her, resenting her? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he did.

Finn's face steeled over. It became completely blank, and his eyes lost all warmth and emotion. "I was really hoping that you weren't going to be like this," Finn said lowly. "I guess I was wrong."

Finn turned around and went back into his house. Rachel stood on the front porch, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. If there was one thing that Rachel had learned over her time in Lima, it was that Finn Hudson had her heart… and he probably always would.

* * *

**xxiii.**

The day Finn graduated from Ohio State was the day that he moved to New York City.

He had spent the better part of the spring semester searching for jobs close to home, but it didn't seem that there was anything open. During spring break, Kurt had finally decided to visit home and had told Finn about several teaching and coaching positions that were open up in New York. It wasn't long after that that Finn had started putting plans in motion to move up there with Kurt.

"You should know that everything has a specific place," Kurt said as Finn carried in a large box. "And I'm going to have to ask you not to practice your drumming late at night. Or early in the morning."

"That's great, Kurt." Finn grunted as he set the box down. "Maybe you could write all these rules down for me. "But how about you help me bring the rest of my boxes in?"

"How about we talk about the fact that you haven't brought up Rachel in several months?" Kurt countered.

Finn winced at the mention of her name. Ever since that day last August that she left, he hadn't heard from her. There had been zero contact between the two of them. Finn had thought about calling her several times, but it just hurt too much. He would remember the things that she had said to him and he would put the phone down.

But he still had the memories of that summer. It was probably one of the best summers that he had ever had. And when he thought about those amazing times that they spent together, he realized that he should have fought harder. He never should have let her go. Every day, he regretted it.

But he didn't like thinking about that, either. So Finn spent most of his time pushing all of those thoughts away.

"We're not going to talk about it," Finn said firmly.

"Finn, Rachel lives in this city, too."

"And it's a big city. The chances of us seeing each other are very small." Finn opened the box he had just brought in and began searching through it. "I'd really like to stop talking about this now."

Kurt sighed before he shook his head. "Okay, Finn."

* * *

**xxiv.**

Rachel let out a sigh of relief as she stepped onto the subway. She was just glad to be going home. She wanted to take a nice, long hot bath. She was really hoping that Santana was either out or was going to be very quiet tonight. She just wanted a quiet night in.

Her junior year at NYADA had been difficult, but Rachel had loved it. And her senior year at NYADA was proving to be just as difficult, but Rachel truly loved the challenge.

But there was one thing that was missing—and nothing could ever fill the void in her heart. Nothing except a tall, amber-eyed man. But she channeled all that want and need into her schoolwork. It seemed as if it was really paying off, since Rachel was getting top scores in all of her classes.

Rachel ran a hand through her hair and tugged her jacket tighter around her. As she glanced around the subway, her eyes happened to catch another passenger's.

A passenger with amber eyes.

Rachel's mouth dropped open. She knew those eyes. She knew exactly who those eyes belonged to. Sure enough, she found that Finn Hudson was staring back at her. It was like the rest of the world melted away as they stared at each other. Neither of them moved—and then Rachel realized that the subway had arrived at her stop. So she went with her gut reaction.

She ran.

* * *

**xxv.**

You could have knocked Finn over with a feather when he realized that he was standing across from Rachel Berry on the subway.

It had been three months since he had moved to the city, and he was finally beginning to relax. It really seemed as if he wasn't going to see Rachel . New York City was bustling with millions of people, after all. He eventually relaxed and didn't go everywhere with the thought of seeing Rachel anymore.

He had found a teaching job at a small private school. He was now teaching music classes at an elementary grade level. Things were going great for him. He couldn't have been happier that he ended up in New York City.

And then he saw Rachel Berry. As the subway grinded to a stop, Rachel darted through the doors the second that they opened. It only took Finn a split-second to decide what he was going to do.

He had let her go once. He wasn't about to let that happen again.

* * *

**xxvi.**

Rachel successfully made it back to her apartment without seeing Finn following her. She let out a sigh of relief and rested briefly against the door before she made her way back into her room. She changed out of her clothes and pulled on a pair of shorts and one of the sweaters that her grandmother knitted for her. Rachel smiled when she saw the large teddy bear plastered on the front of it.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door. Rachel froze and stared at it for a long moment, as if something was going to happen. Nothing did—there wasn't even another knock. So Rachel cautiously approached the door. She hesitated before she finally opened it.

Finn Hudson was standing in front of her.

"Finn," Rachel breathed.

"Rachel," Finn said in return. His eyes fell to the sweater she was wearing. The next thing that came out of his mouth was: "You're wearing a sweater with a teddy bear on it."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "We haven't seen each other in a year and _that_ is the first thing that you say to me?"

Finn pinned her with an unreadable look. "I think that's your fault, Rachel."

Rachel reached out and grabbed his shirt, yanking him into her apartment. She shut the door behind him before she turned around, planting her hands on her hips as she stared him down.

"Well, it wasn't like you ever tried to call me, Finn," Rachel said. Her first instinct was to go on the defense when confronted with the horrible mistake she had made the previous year.

"I'm pretty sure that you're the one who said that I belonged in Ohio, Rachel," Finn said in a low, hard voice. "What I was supposed to think about that? I told you how I felt, what I was afraid of. I was afraid that I wasn't ever going to be what you wanted, and you pretty much proved that to me on that day."

All of the sudden, Rachel's face crumpled. Tears started to stream down her cheeks, and she sort of curled in on herself. Something flickered across Finn's face, but he tried to remain as impassive as possible.

"I'm so sorry, Finn," Rachel choked out. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Rachel," Finn said softly.

"No." Rachel held her hands up and didn't bother to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "No, you have to know. I'm so sorry. Those things I said to you on that day… I've regretted them every day since. I was afraid that I was going to get my heart broken because I knew that I had to leave. So I broke yours before you had the chance to break mine."

"Rachel." Finn gave her an incredulous look. "That doesn't make any sense at all."

"I know!" Rachel pressed the heels of her hands to her eyes. "I didn't want you to uproot your entire life for me. And I was afraid that if we were going to stay together, it wouldn't end up working out."

Finn's face finally softened, and he took a step closer to her. "Rachel, we've had this talk before," he said gently. "You'll never know until you give it a chance. Anything could have happened over the past year if we had stayed together."

"It could have ended badly," Rachel whispered.

"Or it could have been great," Finn pointed out

Rachel sniffled and finally wiped at her cheeks. "I'm so stupid."

Finn took the final step to end up in front of her. He took one of her hands in his and curved his other palm around her cheek. "You're not stupid," he told her. His amber eyes were warm as he gazed down at her. "You were just scared."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said again as she leaned into his touch.

Finn nodded his head and pulled her close. "And I forgive you." And then his lips came down over hers, and Rachel melted into his embrace.

* * *

**xxvii.**

"We have so much to talk about."

Finn chuckled as he ran his fingers through Rachel's long hair. "Do you ever stop thinking for a few seconds?"

"No," Rachel said in a matter-of-fact voice. "I don't."

"I promise that I'll tell you everything, Rachel," Finn said. "But for now, can't we just… lay here? Or, you know, we could talk about that animal sweater that you're wearing."

Rachel swatted playfully at his chest before she smiled as she snuggled further into his side. She pressed her cheek right over his heart and listened to the reassuring beat of it. "I'll have you know that I harbor a secret love for animal sweaters."

"I think it's cute," Finn declared.

"Thank you," Rachel whispered. "For everything."

Finn dropped a kiss to the top her head. "I love you, Rachel Berry."

Rachel kissed his chest. "I love you, Finn Hudson."

* * *

**xxviii.**

"Christopher Hudson! Austin Hudson! Get back here right this instant!"

The four year old twins only laughed as they raced away from their mother and across the front yard of the familiar house in front of them. Behind her, Rachel could hear her husband laughing. She turned to glare at him.

"And what is so funny about this, Finn Hudson?" she demanded.

Finn wrapped his arms around her and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Nothing, Rachel Hudson. Nothing at all."

Despite herself, Rachel could feel a smile forming on her lips. "That's what I thought." Her attention was immediately drawn back to her sons as the proceeded to toss a ball back and forth. Given that they were only four years old, they were quite clumsy with it. "Boys! Please be careful!"

"Rach, relax," Finn soothed. "You know that my mom is excited to see them. She'll let them get away with just about anything, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Momma, can we go in now?" Austin asked with wide amber eyes identical to his father's.

"Of course we can, sweetie." Rachel scooped him up into her arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Chris tugged on her pant leg.

"I wanna ring the doorbell, Momma!" he exclaimed.

Finn lifted Chris up and brought him over to the door. "Go right ahead, buddy."

Chris continued to ring the doorbell until Carole answered it. When she opened the door and saw the family in front of her, she grinned and hugged them all tightly.

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're all here!" she said. "I'm sure that you're all excited to spend another summer in Lima!"

As they followed Carole into the house, Finn and Rachel share a look. They both knew that there was nothing better than spending a summer in Lima.

* * *

**Author's Note: Wow, that one was a doozy! Thanks for reading, and I hope that you all enjoyed it. :) Please let me know what you all thought!**


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